5 questions with Khalil Mack, his father on Mack Trucks partnership

PHOTO GALLERY: Oakland Raiders defensive end Khalil Mack visits the Mack Customer Center in Allentown to meet employees, check out truck models and learn what it really means to be "Built like a Mack Truck."

Oakland Raiders defensive end Khalil Mack got a text one day from Draymond Green, in which the Golden State Warriors forward suggested Mack try to partner with Mack Trucks, the iconic manufacturer that assembles its vehicles in the Lehigh Valley.

On Sunday, that partnership brought Khalil Mack and his father, Sandy Mack, to the Lehigh Valley, where they had dinner with longtime Mack employee Sid German and his family. On Monday, they met with employees at Mack’s assembly plant in Lower Macungie Township and then visited the Mack Customer Center in Allentown, where they drove a Mack Anthem around the track. Afterward, the duo answered a few questions from reporters. Here’s a snapshot of the discussion:

Question: Aside from the fact that you share the name Mack, what other characteristics do you see that are similar between you and the brand?

Khalil Mack: Hard work. Blue-collar. Tough to the core. It’s just in me from birth. Just being raised the way I was raised, being competitive as I am. Just wanting to be the best and them being the best brand in the trucking industry, it correlates with me as well wanting to be the best in football.

Q: And you run through offensive linemen like a Mack Truck?

Khalil Mack: I’m trying, I’m trying.

Q: How was the experience walking through the plant today?

Sandy Mack: It was surreal for me. Like (Khalil) was saying, he couldn’t help but grow up with the Mack brand. I used to buy him hats and shirts. … But the walk in the plant today, I was like a groupie taking pictures of everything. I had a good time. It was surreal for me.

Q: What was it like getting to talk to the Mack employees?

Khalil Mack: Everybody knew each other. Everybody was close. You can tell how much of a team they really are. Being around Sid and his family, it was a great experience. It’s something I’ll never forget.

Q: What was the experience like getting to drive a Mack? Was it nerve-wracking?